Author's notes: January 15, 2021, unable to upload new doc, then unable to log in with site page saying, "503 Service Unavailable (No server is available to handle this request.)" This seems to be a site wide glitch with many users reporting. Of note is that Flash Player was "End of Life" as of 1/12/2021 and Windows 10 had an update just before the glitch appeared on my system. Will post new chapter (208) as soon as log in and publishing functions are restored.
Around 2:50am ET, a new error message appeared after what seemed to be a successful log in. "Unable to process authentication. We could not process your authentication. Please try again later. Code L1."
In An Age Before – Part 208
Chapter One Hundred thirty-six
Khazad-dûm – The Third Age of the Sun
Now in the third week of Narbeleth, T.A. 1975, Helluin briefly visited Lórinand on her way to Khazad-dûm. 'Twas largely a courtesy call, yet she had tidings to share, and so she met with King Amroth, Lord Celeborn, and Lady Galadriel.
The dark Noldo announced that she was returning from the emptying of Dol Guldur, which she had accomplished with the aid of Prince Fram and the Éothéod. On that day, she could assure them that the fortress was deserted. The Nazgûl had been gone for many years, and the last of their Yrch were slain. Of interest mostly to herself was that during her infiltration of the fortress, she had recovered Beinvír's ring. Thereafter, as the lords and lady had 'naught of import to share with her, she took her leave of the Golden Wood.
The shock of discovering Beinvír's ring and the answers of an Orch had cemented Helluin's belief that her beloved had been abducted from Nanduhirion and delivered to the Black Easterling Khamûl, Lieutenant of the Nazgûl. That knowledge had incited her to a bloodthirsty rampage. In the aftermath, her concern was the repair of the ring, for she still felt the presence of her lover through their spiritual bond, and she hoped to return the ring of their joining one day. As for the required gold smithying, but one place would she trust to do the work, the same place in which the ring had originally been made.
On 27 Narbeleth, Helluin walked Barq up the Dwarf Road through Nanduhirion to the Azanulbizar Gate, and there she dismounted and bowed in greeting to the company of sentries guarding the East Door of Khazad-dûm.
"Hail and well met, O noble sons of Durin," she said, "I am Helluin Maeg-mórmenel, long a friend and ally of Khazad-dûm. I beg leave to enter and seek the commerce of the House of Gneiss."
The detail marched forward three paces to close the distance, and then they halted with mechanical precision and an audible stamp of heavy boots set side by side in posture of attention. At the fore of their wedge formation stood the detail's sergeant. When he returned Helluin's bow, e'ery member of the guard bowed in precise synchronization.
"Hail and well met, Helluin of the Host of Finwë, friend of Khazad-dûm and ally of the Ages. By decree of our Lord Durin VI, thou enjoy the continuing welcome and honor of the Sigin-tarâg¹. I am Barkûn son of Ukrafubeshêk, Sergeant of the Second Gate Company, and I bid thee enter the Halls of Durin." ¹(Sigin-tarâg, Longbeards, (pl. n.) The kindred of Dwarves founded by Durin the Deathless. Neo-Khuzdul)
Helluin bowed again to Barkûn, and as she began to lead Barq towards the gate, she asked, "Noble Barkûn, does the most gracious Umrazudilinzillîn yet bless patrons with his hospitality? I deem my errand shall consume more than a day and I must make arrangements for my horse."
Barq grinned nervously o'er her shoulder at the sergeant and then looked to the Dimrill Gate with palpable apprehension. His sole prior experience of subterranean accommodations had been during a brief passage through Gundabad as part of Angmar's army, and it had not been pleasant, with all too many hungry Yrch constantly lurking 'nigh.
"I wager Umrazudilinzillîn shall be host of the First Hall's Inn for another couple centuries, O Helluin. He shall make satisfactory arrangements and thy fine steed can enjoy the company of a team awaiting their next trading sojourn eastward."
"My thanks, good sergeant. A fair day to thee and thy detail," she said.
They parted after trading another round of bows. Helluin proceeded through the gate and into Khazad-dûm leading a resigned Barq.
Marking her horse's demeanor, the Noldo sought to reassure him, saying, pray fear not in the mansions of the Naugrim, for their halls are more akin to a fine city of stone than a cave. These are honorable folk and as trustworthy as any thou shalt e'er meet.
Barq gave her a look, truly wanting to believe her optimistic rede, yet possessed of visceral reservations that came from instinct.
I doubt not thy trust in thy friends, O Helluin. Still, halls of stone are not natural for such as me, for 'naught grows 'neath the ground, save roots or perhaps fungi, and neither of those are fitting fodder.
Thou speak true, O Barq, yet as I said, Khazad-dûm is no cave, or at least it hath become far more than the cave 'twas long ago. She shook her head, realizing her last claim was less than reassuring. Finally, with a sigh she said, all shall be well, trust me.
The Easterling horse rolled his eyes at that, but produced a long-suffering sigh and followed her ne'ertheless, though he stared doubtfully at the solid rock walls and the ceiling far above. Helluin was reminded of Beinvír's first sojourn into the mansions of Durin's folk, back when she still half believed that the Naugrim cooked and ate Elves. The irony in the present situation was that the Naugrim were far more likely to cook and eat a horse than an Elf, worst came to worst.
From the memories of her last visit in 1851, Helluin led Barq to the stable entrance and made the arrangements for his room and board. 'Twas done in the same fashion as for any other guest, save that Barq was not required to sign a registry. After Helluin settled him in his stall and offered him some parting words of reassurance, she retraced her steps to the First Hall, and then walked down a short corridor, past a guard chamber and to the entrance of the Inn's common room. Umrazudilinzillîn, who had recognized her at once as she stood at the door, greeted her and ushered her to a small table. Knowing her preferences, he seated her facing the door with only a solid wall at her back.
"It hath been many years since thy last visit, Helluin Ghâshgûl," he said, "yet word of thy most laudable exploits came from thy friend Glorfindel, who visited my humble establishment but a few years past. In honor of the great service thou hast done our people, whatsoe'er fare as thou would have is free henceforth, by order of the king."
At her look of astonishment, he chuckled and added, "I wager thy coin is no longer accepted for victuals in Khazad-dûm." He offered a deep bow and presented a menu, finishing with, "would thou honor me by accepting a mug of ale?"
Helluin had suppressed a grimace on hearing that her newest title was now in common usage. O'er the millennia, she had even come to prefer Mórgolodh, and Úlairdacil was not unwelcome, but she only said, "I would honor thee indeed and oft had I more time, my most gracious Umrazudilinzillîn. A mug of ale would be most welcome."
She ordered and consumed a bowl of stew and a small loaf of fresh baked bread, finding both hearty and delicious, and then, after trading many words of thanks and honor with the innkeeper, began her walk to the guild house of the House of Gneiss.
Now the House of Gneiss lay a day's walk east of the Endless Stair that rose to the summit of Zirakzigil, Celebdil to the Elves, and Silvertine in the Common Tongue. 'Twas therefore but a day's walk west of Azanulbizar, and Helluin set a goodly pace. The avenues she recalled from earlier visits, though she marked the widening of some streets, the broadening of some plazas, and the added height of some of the buildings lining the way. The eastern section of Khazad-dûm was highly populated, the center of much commerce, and the oldest section of the realm. 'Twas hardly a surprise then that the most influential guild in the realm was centered there, and the headquarters of its most prestigious house as well.
Helluin reached the House of Gneiss in the evening, and deemed the hour late for contracting their services. She stood amidst the swirling throng of traffic, Dwarves returning home from their day's labors, or venturing out for a meal and entertainment. Despite her stature, shrouded 'neath her cloak they passed her by with few glances. The stealth of the Laiquendi was effective even so far from any forest. After searching her surroundings with a sharp glance, she picked out a modest hostel and made her way through its front door.
Within lay a middling lobby, lit by a minimal count of lamps and decorated in an inoffensive style worthy of no remark. 'Cross from the doors stood a reception desk presided o'er by an aging Dwarf in a waistcoat whose cut was decades out of fashion. His beard was long and his hair long and greying as well. He looked up at the soft tinkling of a bell affixed to the doorframe, and Helluin was reminded of a petty merchant in his curio shop amidst the lower circles of Minas Anor. A pair of thick spectacles he wore for the enhancement of his vision, and he squinted 'cross the lobby at the Noldo.
"Good evening," he said, "may I be of assistance?"
He seemed somewhat restrained, or perhaps doubtful, and Helluin realized that her worn cloak and travel bag might project a beggarly appearance.
"Good evening, noble hotelier," Helluin replied, "I desire a room for the night. Dost thou serve breakfast in the morn?"
"Alas, no longer," he said, "for our kitchen has been closed many months now and business suffers for it. E'ery cook fancies himself a chef these days and thinks it a nuisance to make sausage, toast, and eggs." He shook his head sadly, adding, "and all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
The Noldo nodded to him in sympathy. She imagined that with the affluence to be seen in the district, a small business would be stifled in competition with grander establishments.
"'Tis no matter, for I seek only a bed for the night. I passed the last in Lórinand and it hath been a long day of travel."
The old hotelkeeper nodded, obviously believing not a word she said, for if any amongst his folk had ventured into the Golden Wood in an Age, he had heard no tell of it.
"T'will be five copper coins for the night, as all the rooms are the same," he said, "hast thou any preference as to what floor?"
Helluin came to the front desk and dug the coins out of her travel bag, then set them on the countertop. Her host gave them a glance and an expression of surprise grew on his face.
"Huh," he said, "these are o'er a century old. Coppers usually show more wear at that age."
"My last visit was in 1851," she said. "I deem I should be happiest higher up."
He nodded to her, deeming that she sought respite from the bustle and noise of the street. The narrow space behind the counter was backed by a wall of cubbyholes, one for each room. Most held keys, attesting to a dearth of guests. He went to the cubbyhole furthest to his left and retrieved a key. This he handed o'er, saying, "as so few are staying this night, I can offer thee the sky suite. Pray take the stairs to the top. 'Tis the only room on that floor."
Helluin took the key, which she marked was of an antique style, made back when keys were individually forged to fit their locks, rather than cut as a blank from a metal planchet and later ground to fit the lock's pins.
"My thanks, noble hotelier. I shall be leaving early," she said.
"If I am not yet here, then pray drop the key into this slot," he said, pointing out a narrow opening cut into the countertop towards the center of the desk.
Helluin nodded and began climbing a staircase to one side of the lobby. It started out broad and graceful, especially the bottom few steps whose treads were artfully carved in a graceful curve. Soon enough, it passed to mundane, with tread and riser and balustrade identical at each turning. From each landing, an identical hallway stretched off to either side. She passed a dozen hallways ere the stone staircase ended and a steep, narrow, spiral of wooden steps led up from a miserly landing. This continued for what Helluin deemed the equivalent of two regular stories ere ending in a curved door of wood.
The Noldo fitted the key to the keyhole and heard a pronounced click as she turned it and the lock released. The door swung smoothly inward on its hinges, revealing a circular room paneled in rustic planks, with not a window to be seen. On one side was a narrow bed, and beside it a low chest of drawers. A single nightstand bore a single lamp. Only a small skylight and her own incandescence lighted the space. Beside the doorway, a ladder clung to the wall. Helluin followed it upward with a glance and saw that it led to a hatch set in the conical ceiling.
After setting her travel bag on the chest, she doffed her cloak, and being curious, (and indeed increasingly suspicious), climbed the ladder and forced the hatch. It gave way with a screech and opened on creaking hinges. The Noldo poked her head out and saw the roof, and down the side of the outer wall, a vertical tunnel that contained the spiral staircase. At its base, she could just make out the bottoms of two legs of iron bolted to the roof of the building. It seemed that she was to occupy what had been a water tank, necessary back when the hotel had boasted a kitchen, but abandoned after. With a groan, she withdrew and allowed the hatch to slam closed o'erhead. She marked a drift of wood dust that fell and settled o'er e'erything.
Helluin's night passed without incident. There were no comings or goings in a hall beyond her door, no sounds of carnality or conflict seeping through a wall from an adjacent room, and indeed, barely any street noise. For a while, she regarded the tiny skylight wherein she could enjoy a vista of four stars. Eventually, she retreated into her memories and thereby passed the night oblivious to her surroundings. When she felt the time that would have included dawn above ground, she rose, set her travel bag o'er her shoulder, and descended the stairs.
Sure enough, the aged Dwarf was nowhere to be seen and none attended the front desk. She dropped her key through the slot in the desktop, heard it fall on the floor, and exited the hotel. After walking a half-block, Helluin cast a glance back at the building, curious to see the exterior of her room. Atop the roof stood the water tank, and scrawled 'cross it in bright red paint were large cirth proclaiming, TUTUR!¹. At the sight of it, she shook her head and then stalked off to find a breakfast. ¹(tutur, lit. trans. unstable (adj.), vern. trans. "Condemned" Neo-Khuzdul)
Now Helluin surveyed the storefronts and eating establishments lining the avenue, and though most were yet to open, she deemed them o'erly fancy for a quick bite anyway. She was in no mood to spend hours o'er a grand meal, for she desired to come to the House of Gneiss 'nigh when it opened. After walking another block, a small lane intersected the avenue and Helluin turned down it when she saw a number of small eateries. Alas, all but one were yet to open for business and so she had no choice of offerings.
The Noldo came to a hole-in-the-wall establishment o'er whose door hung a sign proclaiming, 'The Gyrating Sandwich'. Behind a counter, a remarkably o'erweight Dwarf prepared for his day's business, stropping a fine edge onto a long, straight slicing knife. Beside him, a conical roast slowly turned on a vertical rotisserie. The pungent scent of spices filled the air. When he heard Helluin enter, he looked up and a grand smile shaped his features.
"Welcome, welcome, my most esteemed guest," he said, "a wise choice thou hast made this morn, for no better fare is available on this block. Allow me the great honor of taking your order, for all know that breakfast is the most important meal of the day."
Helluin gave the Dwarf a smile in return and glanced up at a menu sign posted o'er the counter. Thereon she saw but two items listed, the 'Signature Gyrating Sandwich', and the 'Deluxe Gyrating Sandwich'.
"Good sir, pray tell, how differ thy signature and deluxe gyrating sandwiches?"
"Ahhh, an astute question indeed, my noble patron," he said, "the deluxe sandwich is accompanied by a piping hot heap of crispy, golden fried potato chips, thin as a butterfly's wings and oozing with the goodness of beef lards. They are widely acclaimed throughout the city."
He smiled at her and bobbed his head in apparently gleeful anticipation of her order. Indeed so good humored did he seem that the dour Noldo wondered if he were not 'neath the influence of some herbal enhancer akin to those employed by Aiwendil. Finally, she nodded to herself and made her decision.
"Good sir, pray prepare me one of thy deluxe gyrating sandwiches."
"An excellent choice," he enthusiastically agreed, "thou art a most discriminating diner. The chips offer unsurpassed ballast for a busy day. I shall be but a moment."
With long practiced efficiency, the Dwarf sliced thin strips of the roast, allowing them to fall untouched into the trough of a folded flatbread. Atop the meat, he added shredded lettuce, paper-thin slices of tomato and onion, a handful of crumbled sharp cheese, and then slathered all with a tart, white sauce. He set this into a folded paper tray and then dumped a pile of chips in beside it ere presenting it to Helluin with a grand flourish. During his performance, the Noldo laid out the required coins for payment, and these he scooped from the countertop and into a pocket of his apron.
"Pray enjoy thy meal, my most esteemed patron," he said, "and enjoy a most productive day."
Helluin offered him a smile and a dip of her head, and said, "my thanks, noble gyrateer, pray enjoy a most profitable day."
As the establishment provided no seating, she walked back out into the lane and stood eating her sandwich and chips. These she found remarkably greasy, o'erly spicy for her taste, and profoundly filling. At least 'twas quick, she thought, as she rounded the corner back onto the avenue whilst taking the last bites. The paper wrappings she dropped into a receptacle and then made her way to the House of Gneiss.
The foremost house of artisans was open by then and she passed through the doors and into a spacious lobby constructed of the finest materials in a restrained and timeless style. A pair of Dwarves in rich, flowing robes bearing the emblem of the Guild of Smiths and the crest of the House of Gneiss were waiting, and they came forward with apparent relief when they saw her. After trading deep bows, they offered greetings.
"The greetings and welcome of the House of Gneiss are extended to thee, Helluin Maeg-mórmenel of the Host of Finwë," one of them said. "We are honored by thy visit, most noble friend and ally of the Ages." He paused a moment, and the other Dwarf spoke.
"We are relieved to see thee, Úlairdacil, for we received word of thy coming from the gate yestereve and kept watch for thy arrival, yet thou came not," he said. "We grew worried that some other errand might have called thee, or some calamity had befallen."
"Since the disappearance of Beinvír Laiquende we have been deeply concerned for the safety of our friends," the first Dwarf confessed, dipping his head in memory of the Green Elf that he had met aforetime. "The king was heartbroken when those dark tidings became known, for he had shared counsel with her but shortly aforetime, as had my brothers and I."
He shook his head in sorrow and said, "I am Tulkh son of Aslâm, the twenty-eighth heir of the House of Gneiss. With me is my brother, Umrazugabshel, Treasurer of the House of Gneiss."
Helluin bowed deeply to the two, recalling Tulkh's father, Aslâm, who had created the wedding gifts for King Thranduil and the late Queen Inthuiril in 1551.
"Uzrak Tulkh, Uzrak Umrazugabshel, ye have my thanks for your most gracious welcome and my sincere apologies for the worries my absence has caused to ye and your illustrious house. I was late in my arrival hither and chose to find lodgings for the night ere approaching the House of Gneiss."
The two distinguished Dwarves accepted Helluin's sentiments with gracious bows, returned by the Noldo.
"Tidings of thy arrival at the East Gate were brought to us yestereve with great haste, and we deemed ourselves fortunate to hear them. We have matters to discuss with thee, O Helluin, but first, let us repair to more fitting quarters where we shall hear thy concerns. We deem thou hast come apurpose and pray that such purpose comes not from some disaster in the outer world," Uzrak Tulkh said.
At Helluin's nod of agreement, they ushered her into the private spaces and came to a richly appointed conference room with walls paneled in fine-grained wood, where a long table of dark, polished granite stood 'neath stained glass lamps hanging pendant from a high, coffered ceiling of brass. They took seats in comfortable and thickly padded chairs and Helluin sighed as she settled onto the soft cushions.
"Pray speak thy concerns, most noble ally and friend of our realm," Umrazugabshel requested.
Helluin took from her travel bag the ring of joining and set it before her on the table.
"I am but lately come from Dol Guldur, my most esteemed friends, and all may rejoice that that den of darkness and evil lies abandoned," she began, and the two lords' eyes widened at her tidings. "From the very throne room of the Sorcerer I recovered this ring; the ring of joining that I presented to my beloved Beinvír in Ithilien an Age ago. It hath sustained damage that I would have repaired, and as 'twas originally crafted by artisans of the House of Gneiss, I returned hither to beseech ye to undo what time and evil have done. I could think of no others in this Middle Earth whom I would trust more with a commission so dear to my heart."
Much to Helluin's surprise, Tulkh and Umrazugabshel rose from their seats and bowed deeply to the Noldo.
"A wonder thou art to us, Helluin Úlairdacil," Uzrak Tulkh said. "It hath been not a season since word came to us from the Laiquendi that Angmar was defeated utterly and thou had driven its fell Witch King from the final field of combat. A month later, we were told that he was indeed vanquished at thy hand and fled the north unhoused. For these things, we rejoiced and yet greater fame was accorded thee, most fell ally of our people.
Already we counted ourselves deeply in thy debt for the extermination of the Yrch in our mountains, and little more could we have foreseen. Yet then came tidings of thy triumph o'er the Nazgûl of Carn Dûm for the third time, and now thou say Dol Guldur is emptied as well."
"No Nazgûl lurked in the fortress atop Amon Lanc when I came thither, only Yrch, and with the aid of Prince Fram and the Éothéod, they were easily slaughtered," she said. "In that time, I learnt that Beinvír had been taken captive by the Lieutenant of the Nazgûl, Khamûl, the Black Easterling, whom I met in combat aforetime, in Orodruin during the Great War. Yet Beinvír's captivity was long ago, I reckon, for he took his leave ere the Yrch we fought came to abide in the fortress, and he left behind the ring."
"We shall have it repaired, Helluin, and it shall be returned to thee unblemished, as if 'naught had harmed it," Umrazugabshel promised.
"Ye have my sincere thanks, my most gracious hosts," the Noldo said with a dip of her head. "Pray tell, what concerns have ye that we should discuss?"
Tulkh sighed and drew a deep breath ere he spoke. He felt a deep reluctance to broach the subject, for t'would surely bring the darkest of memories to their esteemed friend and ally. Yet he was constrained in a narrowing corridor 'twixt past events and apprehension o'er the future. Durin had only become more perturbed o'er the hundred and twenty-four years since he had taken counsel with Beinvír and resolved 'naught. The Ring gave him no peace now, and the Lord of Khazad-dûm was fraught with worry.
"I speak now on behalf of my most august lord, His Majesty Durin VI," Tulkh began, "and for no lesser cause than the welfare of our realm and our people would I speak to these concerns."
He marked that he immediately had Helluin's attention. Indeed, her gaze was so intense as to be difficult to bear.
"As was attested by Lieutenant Dalâl to the Council of Imladris in 1851, our king has been troubled by thoughts arising from Celebrimbor's Ring," the head of the House of Gneiss said. "Some threat unknown with consequences most dire he perceives, and despite the aid of thy beloved, 'naught was resolved, for no clarity came of it. Even did Beinvír explore the depths of the Barazinbar Spur, for some phenomena had appeared there, but alas, she uncovered 'naught."
"Whyfor was the Barazinbar Spur and its phenomena of interest to Beinvír, my most esteemed hosts?" Helluin asked.
"Our Lord Durin tells of the Ring warning him of a sleeping fear, of shadow and fire, and e'er it repeats the words, 'deep, deep, deep'. At first, Lady Beinvír questioned him regarding what lay at the bottom of the chasm 'neath Durin's Bridge. Alas, none know how that fall resolves, for in ten thousand years, none have seen that netherworld and lived to tell 'aught.
The Barazinbar Spur is the deepest of our mines, and at places in those days, heats had been felt rising and falling within its walls. These were of interest to thy beloved. A mining engineer we sent to lead her to the last site of such heats, yet she discerned 'naught despite spending long there in deep concentration."
Helluin nodded, following his lover's logic, and she could find no flaw in her suspicions.
"Given what I have heard, I too would have followed her course of investigation," she said. "I know not what further can be done to apprehend the cause of the Ring's warnings unless these phenomena have changed since."
"They have changed little in nature or location," Umrazugabshel said, "but they have increased in both frequency and intensity. In the time when Beinvír examined the Barazinbar Spur, the incidents were known to few other than the miners. Since those days, they have become known to all. Whereas aforetime they came and went, and at worst caused heat too uncomfortable to abide ere conditions returned to normal, now there are places that have remained impossible to approach for months at a stretch, and shafts fill with such heated air as would scorch the lungs."
"The citizens are nervous and the king distraught," Tulkh admitted. "Some veins of ore we have been forced to abandoned, for the danger of pursuing them is unacceptable. We have followed alternate veins at times, or tunneled past hazardous areas and rejoined veins where safe."
"And ye are sure this is not simply volcanism?" Helluin asked.
"We think not," Tulkh replied. "Such activity is usually accompanied by tremors, fractures, and worse. Magma leaks from fissures and poisonous gasses billow with the stench of sulfur. No such effects have been marked. Our engineers are confounded and we know not what to do save flee such places as are affected."
"I deem thy response prudent and wonder if t'would be safer simply to conclude mining the Spur," she suggested. "Much wealth ye have drawn o'er the centuries. If the mining courts disaster in some fashion and brings hazard to the realm, is it not best to cease, at least for a while to see if the phenomena abate?"
The two Dwarves looked to each other. That course had been suggested aforetime, by radicals, and it had been rejected. The mithril obtained from the Barazinbar Spur was simply too valuable to ignore. Many were employed in the mining, smelting, refining, alloying, and working of that metal, and even a temporary cessation of production would have economic repercussions.
"There is wisdom in that course," Umrazugabshel admitted. "'Tis without guarantees though, save the loss of employment," he added, "and would not any quieting of the heats simply resume once activity resumed?"
Helluin shrugged. 'Twas no way to know save to try. It seemed the effects appeared and abated on their own, yet during their presence, work was abandoned in the affected areas anyway, so perhaps the localized and temporary shut downs were curative. Of course, why the precise locations of the phenomena within established areas had shifted o'er time was not understood.
"Are the same areas repeatedly afflicted?" She asked.
"Exact locations only rarely, and not with any rhyme or reason that we have apprehended," Tulkh said. He shook his head, as baffled now as he had been two centuries aforetime when he had taken the reins of his house on his father's retirement.
The dark Noldo sat silent, as confounded as her hosts. The phenomena had become longer-lived and of greater severity, but had changed not in nature or general location. The lack of tremors or worse did not seem typical of volcanism to her, yet 'naught else that she could imagine would create unnatural temperatures in solid rock. Finally, she sighed. Despite the time t'would take, the greater factor was the aid she might be able to provide to her friends, even if she doubted 'aught would come of the attempt. She just hoped that Barq would forgive her longer absence.
"If t'would be of any aid, I am willing to chance a visit to the mines in hope of discerning some cause. Perhaps t'will be possible, now that the phenomena are more pronounced," she said.
Tulkh and Umrazugabshel nodded to her. They had been hopeful that she would be willing to look, but they were also doubtful that 'aught would be divined, as the cause had eluded them for centuries.
"We would be most grateful, Helluin," Uzrak Tulkh said, "and I shall assign an engineer with experience of the problem to guide thee thither to the most recently affected section of the mines. Pray join us for breakfast. He should arrive in an hour or two."
The breakfast the Noldo shared with the principals of the House of Gneiss was as sumptuous and excessive as she had feared, but she dutifully gorged so as not to appear disrespectful of her hosts. Towards the end of the meal, when 'naught but a pile of scrambled eggs and a couple griddle cakes soaked in maple syrup remained on her plate, the engineer arrived. He bowed to the table and was introduced to Helluin as Guryel, Senior Engineer of Mining. His name brought a narrowing of her eyes, but Helluin held her peace and greeted him, despite his inauspicious name. Accident of all accidents, she thought. Cruel were his parents to saddle him thus.
Helluin and Guryel took their leave of the House of Gneiss shortly later and began their journey down into the mines. That descent took the remainder of the morning even by such routes as the engineer took, which were direct and known to few save some of the miners.
They came to the Eighth Deep and entered the mine head. There Guryel provided Helluin with a thick document and a pen, saying, "'tis the standard indemnity waiver of compensation for damages resulting from mishap, bodily injury, or death whilst on the premises."
Sure enough, in bold runes at the top of the first page, the document bore the title, "Guest Waiver for Accidental Death or Dismemberment". Helluin read the cirth and scanned o'er the first paragraphs. She gave the engineer a withering glare, but took up the pen and signed it anyway. When he offered her a helmet bearing two candles, she retrieved her mithril coif and donned it, then projected a restrained incandescence of silver and gold far brighter than any candles. Guryel gulped, but nodded and donned the helmet himself.
They descended a ramp and a further succession of tunnels, finally coming to a large chamber set at the top of a deep shaft. Having by then walked for five hours, Guryel bought them lunch at a concession stand in the antechamber and they drank from a well. Helluin took the precaution of filling her drinking skin.
On the floor of the main chamber sat a massive contrivance of wood and metal that reminded Helluin of some mechanisms of torture she had glimpsed 'neath the Barad-dûr. She stepped to the edge of the precipice, looked down into utter darkness, and then cast a doubtful glance to Guryel.
"'Tis the Descenderator," he explained, trying to hide his nervousness, "and t'will save us many hours of walking. It hath been in service many centuries now and its safety record is considered acceptable."
The Noldo found his reassurance less than reassuring. With a groan, she followed him onto the platform, moved to the far rail to accommodate a team of miners, and then shook her head in resignation. The platform gave a lurch and began its descent. She marked Guryel standing rigidly beside her, gritting his teeth, with a white knuckled grip on the safety rail. The miners began to sing a fatalistic ditty.
Hi ho, Hi ho, it's down to hell we go,
Into the dark, blind as a mole,
We hope the cable holds, you know,
Lest we crash to the bottom of this hole.
There were far more verses, but Helluin ceased paying them any mind as they continued downward. Finally, with the end of the last verse, the platform touched bottom with surprising gentleness. The miners exited to begin their shift whilst Guryel accompanied the Noldo off down a different side corridor.
The engineer led them through a series of tunnels and down a series of stairs that ran alongside a track for ore carts. 'Twas a seemingly endless maze, with passages diverging, converging, or dead ending. Soon, even the Noldo was impressed by Guryel's surety of direction. She stalked along beside him, projecting such Light as was required to illuminate those claustrophobic spaces, and committing all to memory, just in case of his Accidental Death or Dismemberment. The sounds of mining dwindled behind them. Eventually, she marked an increase of warmth in the air.
They came to a barricade with a locked gate and signs of warning. Guryel searched out a key on a large ring, released the lock, and opened the gate. He gestured her through and followed her into the passage beyond. Helluin marked that he locked the gate behind them.
Down a further ramp and some staircases they continued, the temperature growing hotter with e'ery step. Finally, the heat grew 'nigh unbearable, and from somewhere further ahead came a thin scent of burnt rock, sharp and tangy. 'Round a corner they came upon the bottom of a tall shaft leading upwards. The hot air was wafting from the entrance.
"The most recent and still ongoing phenomenon lies mid-height of yonder chamber," Guryel said. He had covered his lower face with a thick cloth and now breathed through it.
Helluin gave him a nod of understanding, then took a deep breath and peeked 'round the corner. Standing in the doorway, the temperature was scotching and heat waves distorted her view upwards. The floor was covered with sharp shards of rock shivered from the walls by the heat, and as she watched, yet more exploded off the surface with a pop, raining down from somewhere above. She followed the walls of the chamber upward, reckoning 'twas some hundred feet in height. As Guryel had said, midway up a dull, ruddy glow emanated from the stone. Helluin ducked back 'round the corner and exhaled. The hot air in the tunnel felt chill by comparison.
"How long?" Helluin asked.
"Three weeks, this time," Guryel replied. "This chamber has been oft afflicted, yet we cannot predict when t'will happen next. Luckily, mining here ceased well o'er a century ago."
The Noldo nodded to him and then shook her head in doubt. Whate'er caused the heat, 'twas progressing, yet not regularly. Still, whatsoe'er 'twas, it lingered 'nigh and had become active off and on for many years. She set her hands to the wall and then closed her eyes, concentrating. Only some insignificant vibrations she felt, perhaps from mining actions at a distance, the blows of picks and sledgehammers reverberating though solid stone. She felt 'naught of the movements of magma, and no hint of percolation from pressurized gasses. With a sigh, she blinked and whispered naur, rušur, ghâsh¹. ¹(naur, rušur ghâsh, fire Sindarin, Valarin, Orkish)
Through the stone, they heard a sharp crack and a shearing sound, and with a reverberating crash, a boulder-sized shard of rock calved off the o'erheated wall and shattered on the chamber floor. Some chips flew out of the entrance to scatter in the tunnel 'nigh where they stood. Helluin stepped away from the wall as Guryel recoiled backward away from the door.
"I deem 'tis time to be away lest we endure Accidental Death or Dismemberment," Helluin said with a straight face, to which the engineer nodded enthusiastically, "the walls are less stable after so many weeks of heating, t'would seem."
They hastened away up the tunnel, and after a hasty withdrawal, passed the locked gate and continued upwards. Eventually, they reached the bottom landing of the Descenderator.
"We shall ride the Elevator and then take our leave of the mines," Guryel said, with obvious anticipation.
Helluin nodded to him in agreement as she stepped onto the platform. She found it telling that he was looking forward to their coming trip aboard the contraption. This time, they were alone, and she was thankful not to be serenaded with an equally depressing doggerel during the quarter hour of their ascent. Thereafter they retraced their steps of the morn, and by evening had returned to the House of Gneiss whither Tulkh and Umrazugabshel waited.
As much business amongst the Naugrim was conducted in conjunction with meals whene'er possible, 'twas following a frighteningly sumptuous dinner that Helluin and Guryel gave their account of their visit to the mine. The diners had repaired to a comfortable sofa before a blazing hearth, (though Helluin and Guryel had endured more than enough of heats for that day), where they were presented cordials of sweet cognac by their chef ere he withdrew. The meal had been only slightly less elaborate than that shared by Beinvír in the grand hotel, having been catered in a dozen courses by the same chef.
"Alas, I have discerned no cause for the phenomena in the mines," Helluin said. "The conditions were as ye have described, and I deem them sufficiently hazardous that no mining should be conducted 'nigh."
The two principals of the House of Gneiss nodded, accepting her report.
"Whilst Helluin examined the chamber, a large slab sloughed from the walls and crashed to the floor. Any working 'neath it would have been killed," Guryel said.
"I reckon that 'twas merely a fluke of timing," the Noldo said, "'naught but the spontaneous release of accumulated stress from long heating. No cause or precursor did I mark aforetime. 'Tis simply unsafe to linger 'nigh such phenomena, certainly 'neath them, and because heat rises, probably above them as well."
"So then, we shall continue to withdraw our miners as soon as a rise in temperature is reported," Umrazugabshel said, nodding his head, "and they shall remain away 'til any such place is deemed safe again."
"The walls and ceilings of such places must be certified sound after ere any work resumes," Guryel said, "lest the hammering or digging dislodge 'aught."
Tulkh and Umrazugabshel nodded readily in agreement. There were clauses of indemnity in the miners' contracts and the House of Gneiss was responsible for reasonable safety.
"I am sorry, my most gracious friends," Helluin said, "that I was unable to discern 'aught, or perceive the cause. I can only counsel carefully watching o'er these phenomena whilst they last, and their avoidance once established. T'would be prudent to abandon such areas as repeatedly host these heats. And as they have increased in severity since Beinvír's examination, I wager they shall increase yet further still in days to come. I know not to what end."
For a while, the four sat before the fireplace, sipping their cordials. The three Dwarves indeed seemed to nod, their full bellies coaxing them to sleep. Yet after a while, Tulkh opened an eye and regarded the dark Noldo.
"Very nearly did I forget something else, my most illustrious friend," he said, drawing her attention. "We have heard that in defeating the Witch King, thou forfeited a valued weapon."
Helluin nodded in agreement. She still missed the options her dagger had conferred, not the least of which its blue glow when in the proximity of Yrch.
"A prospector discovered an iron some decades ago, far up on the heights of Bundushathûr, a nodule of ore most peculiar, dark, heavy, pock-marked, and dusted with the red of rust. Despite the weight, he brought it back. 'Twas eventually found to be iron, mostly. Some trials were made, but 'twas too difficult to work with our smiths said, and so most of it hath remained untouched. Perhaps with thy knowledge from the smithy of Mahal, thou would know best how to forge such iron into a dagger to match thy sword."
Helluin considered his offer a while. In Aman, the Maiar of Aulë had smelted iron from red sand and clay, magnetic rocks, or 'nigh 'aught else exhibiting rust. Sky iron had been amongst those sources, though relatively rare even in the Blessed Realm. Meteoritic ores could vary wildly, not so much in the purity of the iron, but in its impurities. These ranged from needing only some added carbon, to being wholly useless alone because of excess nickel. Eöl had been either very lucky or very knowledgeable in forging Anglachél and Anguirél.
Finally, hoping that Barq would forgive her the delay, she nodded 'aye' to Tulkh and said, "I must make trials of such ore, yet of 'tis suitable, I would be grateful to forge a dagger in so great a smithy."
Ere his eyes slipped closed and he began snoring, Tulkh said, "On the morrow I shall send a master smith to thee, my most esteemed guest. I doubt not that he and his apprentices shall be eager to observe."
Considering the interest of the smiths in the days of Gikli and Merk in an Age before, Helluin should have anticipated more than just a smith and his apprentices desiring to observe her process.
The morn came and true to his words, Uzrak Tulkh had somehow risen in the early hours and summoned a master guild smith to the House of Gneiss. He was a Dwarf of many years, grey-haired, long-bearded, slightly bowed, but with muscle-bound arms, who arrived whilst Helluin, Tulkh, and Umrazugabshel were consuming a vast breakfast. With 'nigh continuous bows, the smith greeted the principals of his guild and their legendary guest.
"Helluin of the Host of Finwë, pray greet Telkhel Shar¹, the Iron Smith Emeritus of the guild." ¹(Telkhel Shar, Master Smith Smoke = telkhel(sing. ult. smith of all smiths) + shar(sing. n. smoke) Neo-Khuzdul)
The Noldo rose from her chair and offered the elder smith a deep bow.
"'Tis my great honor to greet thee, Telkhel Shar," she said. "I hope not to impose upon thee o'ermuch, nor constrain thee from thy other duties,"
"As emeritus, I have few pressing duties where commissions are concerned," Shar said with a grin, "but I am consulted on the training of the apprentices and offer counsel to the masters. Now we have heard that one who learnt from our maker is to forge a dagger in our halls. Many are curious and would seek instruction from observing thy techniques."
Helluin nodded, understanding the 'nigh obsessive nature of the Naugrim whene'er any mention of Mahal's smith craft was heard. She saw 'naught to fault in that. Long ago, many smiths of the guild had consulted with her o'er forging methods from the Aman.
After the meal concluded, Helluin bid Tulkh and Umrazugabshel farewell for that time, and both parties voiced many words of thanks and honor. The Noldo followed Shar from the guild house, and o'er the course of the next couple of hours, they climbed up two levels and walked somewhat west. That should have struck Helluin as odd, for the smithies and forges of the guild were for the most part on the second and third Deeps. Finally, after a further hour afoot and much pleasant conversation with her guide, they stopped before a hall that was all too familiar to the Noldo, though it had been long since her last visit there.
"'Tis the Sixth Hall on the Third Level, is it not, O Shar?" She asked, recalling the vast space in which she had once conducted the initial embassy from Ost-In-Edhil in S.A. 992. In S.A. 2995 she had returned with Beinvír, and in that same hall, introduced Ishkabibúl, the Dwarf they had recently liberated from the enchanted house of Iarwain Ben-adar.
The smith emeritus nodded 'aye' and said, "we have set there a hearth, bellows, and 'aught else needed for howsoe'er long thou require."
"Whyfor is so vast a hall required to observe whilst I forge a dagger?" She asked. "I thought 'twas but thee and thy apprentices, or so said Uzrak Tulkh."
"I am Iron Smith Emeritus of the Guild of Smiths," Shar said, as if that explained it all. "I am the most senior. E'ery blacksmith in the guild is regarded as my apprentice."
Helluin stood outside the doors to the hall with mouth agape. She honestly had no idea how many blacksmiths practiced their craft in Khazad-dûm, but did not doubt their count was great. In the end, she could not but groan and follow the old smith into the hall.
To Be Continued